Around 10:30, when Rafael was done feeding the others, He opened my door empty handed. Butterflies filled my stomach as I realized I was going to drink from a living body tonight. I felt my humanity slip away, simple as that. All I wanted was to kill.

“Now?” I asked quietly, standing up.

He nodded.

I followed him out the entrance of the psych ward. It was warm, and the air was stagnant and humid. I could hear small creatures in the sandy grass and in the cypress trees. There was a pond to the left of me and a parking lot to the right. I was still in Florida. I hadn’t been sure, since I had been drugged the whole way there. followed Rafael to a silver Mercedes to which he opened the passenger door for me.

I rode with him into a city, possibly Miami, possibly not. If it was Miami, I’d never seen that part of it before. When we were parked in front of a Waffle House and I got out, the exhaust and smog in the air nearly choked me. I started coughing violently.

“Hold your breath,” he reminded me, and I did so.

We entered the Waffle House and sat down. I was glad to be holding my breath because I knew the place would smell like food. Rafael didn’t seem to mind, and he ordered a random dish for me and himself. I was busy watching the humans, listening to them pulse. I had several options, but a lithe young man in a wife beater caught my eye. I was able to hone in on his heart beat. Everything slowed, and I couldn’t see anything but him. I forgot about howie, about the hospital, about Rafael. I only noticed the doctor when he got up and took my wrist to pull me along. We walked up to the dude.

“Hey there man, what’s up? You got a cigarette?” asked Rafael.

He spoke in a way I’d never heard him speak. The man looked taken aback.

“This kid took my last one and I don’t got enough change.” Explained Rafael.

“No, I don’t smoke man. Sorry.”

“Dammit. You got any change?”

“Nah just card. Hey look I’m tryna eat here, leave me alone.”

“Relax. You have a rough day?”

“Kinda yeah.”

“ well tell me about it, I’m all ears.”

They talked for a bit, but I lost interest. I couldn’t stop thinking about biting down on him, adrenaline, blood dribbling down my chin. eventually rafael asked him if he had any change in his car.

“Uh, yeah maybe.”

“Aight cool. Let’s go check.” Rafael pulled me along and we followed the young man outside. I was so hungry. Never in my life as a vampire had I gone this long without blood. My stomach growled loudly. My senses grew sharper by the minute. The exhaust was overwhelming, but so was the man’s scent. Rafael looked at me with a smirk.

“Woah uh, Jacob. Come over here.”

“What? What is it?”

He did, deciding to check out whatever was on the dark side of the building where there were no parking spots. My breathing was labored. I darted over and peaked from the corner in front. Rafael stepped back and signaled me to take him.

My fangs had elongated long ago, and I opened my mouth to show them to him,

“You’re mine.” immediately I heard his heart rate skyrocket and fear wafted me, more than Howie had given off.

“Oh god…” I shuddered, “Your fear smells so good…” he moved to run, but he seemed so slow to me. I darted forward and shoved him against the wall. I couldn’t resist any longer and I bit down with a groan. It was just like I imagined. It felt like a high. I’d never done meth, but I couldn’t imagine it was any better than this. The fear that I sucked into my stomach pulsed into my veins and hit my brain in the form of dopamine. He was moaning, I was moaning, it felt tremendous. Bag blood could never compare to this. My eyelids fluttered and I bit deeper into him. The blood wasn’t coming nearly fast enough though. Something pulled me back and I whined, scrambling to come back to his neck.

“Up and a bit to the left. You will get more.”

I did as instructed as soon as he let me go. Blood now pouring into my mouth, my heart beat like crazy, my legs wobbled. I slid the body down to the ground and hung myself over him. Even more blood gushed into my mouth at the new angle.

When felt so high that I was dizzy, I pulled back, heaving. The man was dead and a smile lined my face. I could barely handle myself. I giggled, giddy.

“I can’t… I feel so… alive…”

“Rafael crouched down, wiping dripping blood off my chin and licked his finger.

“Yes, I am sure you do.”